The excitement was almost too much for her to bear.
All of those beautifully wrapped boxes under the Christmas tree. Wrapped with bright red and green paper and tied with shiny gold ribbons. Her eyes sparkled as she picked up one of the boxes and carefully unwrapped the package, not wanting to tear the beautiful paper.
As she opened the box, she thought about all the possibilities of what could be inside. Maybe it was a new doll with long curly hair. Or, maybe it was a new dress. Maybe….
But, as she opened the box, her excitement faded. There was nothing inside. It was empty.
That may be the feeling you have about your life right now.
On the outside, it looks pretty good. You have spent most of your life pursuing what you thought would make you happy only to obtain it and realize there is nothing there.
Solomon summed it up like this, “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11, NIV)
Do your goals seem meaningless and unfulfilling?
Have you accomplished something in a certain area of your life only to realize it’s not what you really want?
I’ve been there.
After spending three years in law school and a whole summer studying to pass the bar exam, I stood before a judge taking an oath to enter a profession I had no desire for. It wasn’t that the goal of being an attorney wasn’t a noble one…it just wasn’t for me.
However, I continued down the path of being an attorney for a while. (After all, I put in lots of time, money, and hard work.)
But, when I finally got tired of going in the wrong direction, I made a U-turn. And, I’m so glad I did.
Sadly, so many people never do.
Most people spend their whole lives heading in the wrong direction.
Don’t let that be YOU.
Cleansing Exercise
Take an honest look at what you have been pursuing in your life. Is it something you really want? Will accomplishing it bring your joy and fulfillment?
Answer this question — what do I really want?